


Not Her Property

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Prompt, fake relationship trope with a twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 02:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: The Doctor and Rose are stranded on a planet with a fiercely matriarchal society and the Doctor is forced into a subservient role.





	Not Her Property

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a tumbler Prompt: Follow these rules, and we’ll get along fine with a fake relationship trope. I twisted the fake relationship role into something I don't think people really expected.

Belvederix IX was a highly matriarchal society.  For centuries males were considered to be the lowest form of life, only useful for producing daughters.  Over time, males made great strides for equality.  They could now walk freely through the streets alongside the females.  They could have jobs in the fabrication plants, farming, and any number of occupations that required menial labour and actually get paid a small amount for it.  Within the last five years, they were even permitted to wear clothes beyond just simple loin cloths!

They were still strictly the property of the females that owned them and could not speak with another female unless they were spoken to first.  And if a male were to physically touch a female without her asking him to, well, that was an instant death sentence.

Rose only knew all of this because the Doctor had explained it to her once they were out of the public eye.

The TARDIS had made an emergency landing and Belvederix IX was the closest inhabited planet.  One of Her fuel lines were breached and She had to lock out Her thief and wolf before the poison gasses took their toll on their fragile corporeal forms.

“So, we just follow the rules and we’ll get along fine with the locals, yeah?”  Rose asked him.  The Doctor reluctantly agreed.  It shouldn’t take that long for the TARDIS to repair Herself.

That was two weeks ago, and the TARDIS was still locking them out.

It hardly took any time at all for Rose to acquire the items needed to make it appear that the Doctor was her property.  He had to wear this ridiculous looking collar that weighed more than it looked and monitored every move a male made.  

The days went on and on almost in slow motion.  The Doctor was itching to get moving but every time he and Rose went to check on the TARDIS, She still refused to open to them.

Rose had gotten a job in a local clothing shop so she could afford a small dwelling for them.  She tried not to be bitter about it as this was only temporary until the TARDIS would let them in again.  But it still stung.  One would think she would love a world ruled by women, but the way they treated the males was just wrong!  And she could tell just by looking at them they were just as intelligent as the females, if not even smarter in some cases.  But they were all cowed into being these subservient beings who could never live up to their full potential.

She was impressed at the Herculean effort The Doctor was putting in to fit in and not cause a revolution.  He hated seeing anyone enslaved.  As much as she would love to overturn this wretched world herself, she knew deep down if they were to try something he would be killed and she would be stuck here forever, or possibly even killed herself.

Day after day they had to endure comments about how Rose got such a skinny one and that’s probably why she hasn’t gotten a daughter by now.  She should return him and get a much more robust male.  Or how he should be disciplined for talking so much once given permission.  She missed him spontaneously taking her hand and chatting away at her about everything and nothing, or just scooping her up into a hug for no reason at all.  And this lot were so stuffy that if a female showed affection for her male in public, there was a good chance they’d be shunned too. 

She just missed _him_!  And she knew just how tactile and affectionate he was, so it pained her when she asked him not to even come near her even in private, lest he forget himself when they were in public.  She had to treat him like a slave and it was tearing her apart.  She could tell he missed her too, if some of the looks he gave her were any indication.  They weren’t themselves, and they couldn’t be themselves until they got off this rock. 

She hated this pretense that they weren’t proper partners and that he only physically belonged to her like an object only good for doing the housework and helping her bear children – an act she couldn’t bring herself to do, especially under these circumstances.  Their relationship hadn’t evolved to that point.  They hadn’t even had a proper kiss.  She would never demean him like that, just making him fulfil a duty that he had no choice in.  The idea of it made her stomach churn.  Yet to these people, it was just day-to-day life.

She had even stopped flirting with him, knowing it just wouldn’t be fair to play with his hearts like that.  She loved him too much to do that and she knew deep down he felt the same.

Just thinking about it made her eyes burn with angry tears.  How dare they treat people like that!  And now she was being forced to treat the man she loved above all else the same.  It wasn’t right!  It wasn’t fair! 

Rose didn’t even care that she had several hours of her work shift left, she ran out of that shop and headed straight for her temporary dwelling, ignoring the shrill cries of her boss.  (Rose hated that woman.  She proudly beat up on her male just for fun.)

The Doctor started when the door flung open and a weeping Rose stepped through the door, slamming it behind her.  Knowing how thin the walls of this place were, and how nosy their neighbours were, the Doctor pleaded with his eyes for her to explain why she was crying.  He also had vital information to share with her.  Information that he knew would put a smile on her face.  Something he had been longing to see for such a long time.  It was crushing him to see her so sad.

“I hate this place.”  She gasped out between sobs.  “I hate that we can’t be ourselves.”

“I know.  Me too.”  He said quietly, tugging on his collar so it wouldn’t choke him.  “But I checked on the TARDIS today while you were at work.  We can leave tomorrow morning.”  Ignoring their self-imposed rules, Rose launched herself at him and wrapped him in a tight hug, her anguished tears turning into tears of joy.  The Doctor let out a relieved sigh and pulled her flush against himself.

“Finally.”  Rose sobbed into the side of his neck.  “One more day in this place and I would’ve gone insane.”

“Oh, you don’t wanna go there.  Nasty place.”  The Doctor chuckled into her hair.  “Trust me, I would know.”  Rose pushed away from him so she could look him in the eye.

“Do you now?”  She smiled up at him, and the Doctor’s hearts did a little flip in his chest and he held her even closer.

oOo

The next morning, the Doctor and Rose exited their dwelling and into the bright sunshine with big smiles on their faces.  As they walked down the street, the Doctor soniced his collar and tossed it carelessly into a bin.  Several women were shocked at what he did.  They’d never seen a male stupid enough to remove his collar like that.  Then he scooped up Rose’s hand and swung it merrily between them as they ran back to the TARDIS, both laughing the entire way. 

The authorities quickly started coming after them.  Fortunately, the TARDIS was close by and they had a good head start.  The Doctor brought them to a halt just outside the doors, but still well within the force field She put up for them.

“Now, ladies,” The Doctor addressed the outraged mob, the Oncoming Storm just waiting to be unleashed.  “I just want to point out that I am not the property of Rose Tyler.”  Rose took a step closer to him, a ‘yeah, he spoke without my permission.  Whatcha gonna do about it?’ look on her face. 

Then in a bold move that even surprised herself, Rose threw her arms around his neck and snogged him.  The Doctor stood shock still for a moment before he just melted into her, before kissing her back just as fiercely, and there were no longer any doubts in her mind about how he truly felt about her.  Realising Rose had this habit of actually needing to breathe, he pulled back and glared at the crowd again.

“But as you can see, I’m hers.  Which I’m aware is a very confusing statement to you lot but I don’t care.”  The Doctor shrugged at the outraged women.  One fired her rifle at them, but the shot bounced uselessly off the TARDIS’s force field.  The Doctor raised an eyebrow at them.  “Let’s get outta here Rose and find a place where we’re _both_ welcome.”

“No arguments from me!”

They flashed identical toothy grins at the outraged crowd one more time before disappearing into the TARDIS, leaving this planet behind for good.

oOo

Years later, a story about a male who outright denied being owned by a female had devolved into a rumor.  But it still gave them hope that one day, they could be free.


End file.
